I can't believe how much Max has changed since I took this picture in May!! He is so much a little boy now and not this toddler cheeky pooh!! Anyways, this is the layout that I did for my fourth and final recipe of the month for September. I am so impressed with what all the wonderful ladies did with my recipes over at MMFY There sure is some awesome talent over there and I can't wait to see what they come up with for my October recipes!!
Life here has been pretty hectic. The boys football game last Friday was a bummer. Now mind you...they played the absolute best that they have played all season. Coaching was great for the most part. They scored the very first touchdown on Southwestern's brand new field but....they lost the game. Not only that but they lost another 2 starters to broken hands and Andrew messed up his ankle pretty bad. He stayed in the game though which after seeing his foot I am just not sure how he managed. He did say that he didn't notice any pain in his shoulder because his ankle hurt so bad. Anyways, he treated it with ice and elevation for several days and the swelling did come down and of course he is practicing again getting all ready for the next game. Can't keep that kid down for nothing.
And...my world is rocked yet again....Andrew Thomas is now the proud owner of a NY State License.! He passed his road test yesterday....first time. I am now a nervous mommy because we all know how much I hate driving and how much I hate that I have 2 kids out on the road driving. But I do have to admit that this is going to make our lives a bit easier with getting kids to and from EVERYTHING!! So I just have to keep saying my prayers and stressing how important is to drive safe. He is a good kid so I am thankful for that!!
Abby's volleyball is about the same. Maybe a teeny bit better but not much. She just keeps plugging away knowing that JAVA will start November 1st. This should be an excellent opportunity for her.
Maddie absolutely loves Rugby....she had her first game last weekend and she couldn't stop talking about it. I need to get up and see her play soon....although I am a little scared to because I am told that it is a bit rough.
Max is totally in love with school still. It just makes me so happy to know that. Talked with his teacher yesterday and she said that he is the sweetest, most polite kid and even though he did not attend Pre-K he is above and beyond the ones that did academically. And his gym teacher who happens to lift weights with Andrew Thomas and has coached him as well says that Max is by far the most athletic kindergarten student that he has or ever has. I guess we should never have doubted that since sports has been his life from day one.
Remember that this weekend starting Friday is our Scrap Pink Crop for breast cancer awareness tomorrow over at MMFY So go on over and give it a looksy....it is going to be a fun one!! I will be hosting a sketch challenge as well as word game. Prizes and all!! And it is for a great cause!! Hope to see you there!!



Lots to catch up on I guess. We will start with football...well, the game Saturday night was very painful to watch!! The poor boys were beat 18-0! Let me tell you there were some not very happy dads on the sidelines and even unhappier boys on the field. It was just a game where neither the coaches nor the players were on the same page...at all!! There is so much individual talent on this team and I just hope and pray that these coaches can figure out a way to make it all work together or this team is never going to win a game. And I just can't stand the thought of that happening. They have been practicing hard this week to get ready to face the undefeated Southwestern Trojans. This particular team just moved down into our class this year and they have a reputation for being an awesome team. It would do our boys so much good to pull off a win here and I do believe they have the talent to do so!! So fingers and toes crossed for Friday. Oh yeah....forgot to mention...our team is starting to get injury riddled. One player broke his hand Saturday on the opening kick off...didn't realize and kept playing the entire game!! Only to find out Sunday just how bad it really was. He is hoping to get into a hard cast this week so that he will be able to play Friday....man oh man this kid has guts and determination!!


Abby's volleyball woes are getting a teeny bit better...not much but we parents have all come to the conclusion that there is really nothing we can do about this coach and hopefully the school will realize that there was a reason she was let go from her previous job. Anyways, Abby is looking forward to starting with the travel league in November.


Maddie joined a rugby team at UofR...yep you heard that right and she is having the time of her life. I guess that I need to learn all about another new sport because I haven't a clue about rugby. We are hoping to get to see some games too. SHould be lots of fun!!


Now onto the scrapping world. First...MMFY is having a Crop Pink for Breast Cancer Online Crop on the weekend of Sept.26-28th. Please come over and join us for lots of fun challenges, games and prizes. It is all for such a great cause. So if you haven't registered there yet...please do!!


This layout is for my Recipe Challenge that I have going on over there every week. This weeks recipe includes:

Cardstock

2 Patterned Papers

Hand Written Title....don't be afraid...I just drew block letters and outlined them with my sharpie and colored them in. Easy Peasy!!

Flourish

Double Matted photo(s) You can use as many photos as you want...just make them double matted

Staples....I stapled my flourishes on to my layout

1 Paperclip

Journaling Tag


I thought that this funky look with the hand written title worked really great with the funky pictures my kids gave me!! They really do crack me up sometimes!!


Okay I am off to finish canning my spaghetti sauce and also hoping to scrap a bit today!!
Where you just can't do anything? I am in such an unsettled mood with everything that is going on with Abby and volleyball...I just can't seem to function. I know, I know...I need to put it in perspective but it is so hard to see your child hurting no matter what the cause of it is. She is just heartbroken over all of this and it is tearing me up inside. After tonights game Andrew is going to step up and say something to the coach...and I use that term very loosely. This has brought on a whole other agony for Abby as she would just rather not be the kid whose dad talks to the coach. But the stupidity of this woman has gone on far too long and for whatever reason my husband is the only one with guts (or stupidity) to confront the situation. It hasn't been an easy decision for him either as he knows what this can do but enough is enough already. I have been praying and praying that something good will come out of all of this. I am seeing bits and pieces of possible good but not a whole lot. Guess I keep praying.

Andrew received his first letter requesting game films from a Division I University! Syracuse University is looking at recruiting him!! How exciting is that? He has worked so hard for this and continues to work hard even faced with his shoulder injury. I am just so darn proud of him and can only hope and pray that all of his hard work and dedication will lead him to a whole world of opportunities! Now lets just hope the cougars can step it up the rest of the season and make their playoff dreams come alive!!


Abby is still having some major issues with volleyball. But I am so happy to see that this morning my sweet daughter woke up with a new found source of determination!! She is not going to let a ditzy blond coach get in her way of her hopes and dreams and both Andrew and I stand behind her 100%! We will do whatever it takes to help her achieve her goals.


Abby's struggles were the source of inspiration for this layout today. Is she gorgeous or what? I have some hidden journaling behind the photo because I don't think she would be ready to read what I have said yet...it might embarrass her a wee bit. But I felt it was important to journal my thoughts today and there will be a time when she will appreciate my words. (At least I hope so)


Max is still enjoying school and for the first time there was no lunchroom saga. He remembered that I packed his lunch and for the most part actually ate it! Phew...hopefully that is one less thing for me to have to stress about this week!!
Volleyball did not go any better Friday and I am at my wits end as to what to do. It is so hard being a mom seeing your daughter get screwed...believe me that is not the word I want to use!! I keep reminding myself to put it in perspective and if this is the biggest thing we have to worry about then we should be pretty darn thankful. Sometimes that works and sometimes that doesn't. I guess I just need to pray some more on what I am if I am suppose to do anything about it all.

Football didn't turn out so hot yesterday either. We lost the season opener 7-6. Not the kind of start everybody was looking for. I am not sure who is more devastated...the kids or the dads. We did have a great time before the game tailgating. Lots of good food and laughs and just pure excitement. It was fun while it lasted but as the dads were leaving they were carrying their hearts in their hands. But seriously...it was one game...now hopefully the coaches will be smart and look at what worked and what obviously didn't. And then take that information and fix the issues. Again .... put it in perspective!! The cougars do have a neat website all their own and not affiliated with the school. Cougars Football Click on that and you can see some fun pictures of Andrew at the bonfire and also pictures from the game yesterday.

I am canning spaghetti sauce again today and in honor of the season opener for the Bills I have my traditional chilli brewing in the crockpot. The house smells sooooo yummy!!

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I have always wanted to know how to link to another site without actually having to paste the entire url address....I think it looks much cooler that way. So I am going to experiment and see if I figured it out....teeeheeee

MMFY

OH MY GOSH....it worked!! How cool is that!!

He still likes school!! You just don't know how relieved that I am about this fact!! And I am finding that I am enjoying my time here at home. I have been able to work on a lot of things that I have been putting off as well as creating new items for my eBay store. SO I think that this is going to be a good thing all around (smile) I do have another lunch saga to share with you all though...he gets off the bus today and says "Mom, you forgot to pack my lunch" ummmm Max we have been through this...we decided that you were going to buy this week. Well, I didn't like it. Why not honey? They put jelly on my peanut butter sandwich. A big NO NO in Max's book. He apparently didn't want the hamburger and fries so they asked him if a peanut butter sandwich was okay....well it would have been except that there was jelly on it. So I spent $1.40 for chocolate milk today because that is all he had. Needless to say....I am packing him a lunch on Monday with a big big note to his teacher telling her that he brought his lunch!! I am just thankful that these lunch sagas are my biggest concern with school....thank goodness for that!
So while he was gone today I scrapped his picture from his first day of school. I am so proud of myself for getting it done this year and not when is 20!!
Okay, just have a small prayer request...nothing serious....nothing health related....just an issue with Abby and volleyball. I am having a hard time keeping my mouth shut and all I am going to say is that I really think a volleyball coach should be hired because she knows how to play, has played before and can teach the girls something....and not because she is a size 2 blond that looks good....enough said but please pray for Abby to be able to deal with the poop she is dealing with and please say a prayer for me because I need (ABSOLUTELY NEED) to keep my mouth shut and we all know how hard that is for me!!
Tomorrow is the opening game for Cougar football...keep Drew in your prayers too so that this brace does what it is suppose to do and no injuries!!

Day Two!!!!

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And he came off the bus just as happy as yesterday. He thought school was pretty cool today too because they had their first fire drill...he loved it! Only Max!! I sent him lunch money for the week including yesterdays so hopefully we won't have any more mishaps in that department. He wasn't too thrilled with lunch today though because it was a chicken tender sub...and if you know Max you know he doesn't like sandwiches...something about mixing his foods. He will only eat a peanutbutter sandwich with NO JELLY! Anyways, he said he had to take his chicken off his sub and then wipe off the white stuff with his napkin...yep he doesn't like condiments of any kind either. And then to top it all off...they changed their minds about serving cookies and served bananas instead...he refused to put the banana on his plate. He is just too funny...he used to love bananas but for some reason he can't even stand the smell of them anymore!!


I actually scrapped today...no interruptions...okay I did have interruptions...Kody was a pain in my butt today constantly under foot and wanting to go outside. My scraproom is so tiny but he insists on being in there with me while I scrap...no room to move around or nothing. I guess he loves me!! Here is the layout that I did today. At MMFY I am doing a weekly "recipe" challenge for the members...the recipe being a scrapbook page that has to have certain things on it. This is my first "recipe"

1 Piece of cardstock

3 Patterned Papers

6 Buttons

2 Ribbons

Please use circles somewhere on your page

And must have visible journaling somewhere on the page


The recipe idea has been met with lots of excitement so I can't wait to see what everybody comes up with. There is a RAK involved so if you want a chance to win go on over and register then play along with me all month!!


We Survived!!

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The first day of school that is. Max was so excited when I woke him up this morning (yes Ihad to wake him up because he stayed up late watching his favorite reality show last night...America's Got Talent...I am such a bad mom!!) Anyways he got dresses and tried to eat breakfast but he just wasn't hungry. Ellie and Emmy came and then we got in the van and went to school. He was totally stoked!! There was a second of apprehension when he asked me where I was going but then his teacher told him to go find the hook with his name on it to hang his backpack and off he went...never even looked back! I was pretty proud of myself too...no tears. There was a moment of sadness however later in the morning when I picked his blankie off the floor but then I quickly thought...hey he isn't home and he will never know if I wash it!! So he has a clean, no longer smelly blanket to cuddle with tonight.


He had a short day today and I went to pick him up off the bus...he was smiling and chatting and telling me how much he loved his school and was happy to go back tomorrow. I also noticed that he had pizza on his face...ummmmm....I packed him a peanut butter sandwich. Guess he forgot I packed his lunch so he told his teacher he would like the pizza please....yeah right he forgot! He just saw pizza and there was no way he was going to eat his plain ole peanutbutter sandwich! I guess I send extra money in with him tomorrow for todays lunch....and then I guess since he enjoyed buying lunch he can buy again tomorrow!!


Enjoy the pictures of my little man....can't believe he is this old already!!


I officially started my reign as a DT member over at MMFY...this is going to be so much fun and I am as excited as ever about this. These layouts that I am sharing today are my first DT uploads from my kit from Kelly's Kit Shoppe...OMG...I loved this kit!! There are so many new things happening over there this month with all of the new DT starting and bringing a whole lot of new ideas and inspiration. Some really fun games and scrapping going on over there. So please all you scrappers go on over and take a peek...you won't be sorry!! Another cool thing happening over there is that they have a monthly ezine and it is so cool and so full of information and inspiration. In fact I will be writing a monthly article on Scrapping on a Budget. I have to figure out how to post the link to the ezine...it is in PDF format and is really nice!!


Tomorrow is the big day....everybody goes back to school and of course that means Max too this year. He seems to be excited...he is actually counting down the days. We packed his backpack today with all of the required supplies. He helped to write his name on his belongings too. I sure hope that I do as well as he appears to be doing. It will be an emotional time for me I am sure but I keep thinking how clean my house is finally going to be and that makes me smile!! Or of course it may not be because I might just go into my scrap room and forget about the entire house all day!! That sounds a bit more fun but I don't think that it will go over well with the rest of the family.


Yesterday Drew and I canned our spaghetti sauce....such a long process but thankfully we both enjoy doing it and this year it was even more fun because the tomatoes came from our own garden!! Tonight for dinner I am making Zucchini Parmesean with you guessed it...our own sauce and our zucchini fresh from the garden!! Yummy!


My neice had a little scare this weekend...she lives in LA and experienced her first hurricane. Thankfully she and Ryan did just fine and I think all of the horses made it through too. I can't believe I am saying this but give me snow any time over hurricanes and tornados. Remind me that I said that come January.